Refer Me to the Resources: Episode Five.
Are you overwhelmed with all of the new bills being proposed in Congress? Do you want to make your voice heard but don’t know how? Check out the latest in online resources that connect the public to the politicians.
- POPVOX https://www.popvox.com/ is a powerful and current interactive website that ”bridges the gap between the input the public wants to provide and the information Members of Congress want and need to receive…It is not a discussion forum. It is a place for action.”
Read what their work is all about:
“POPVOX verifies, aggregates, and simplifies communication with Congress on an open and trusted (and nonpartisan) common ground. Advocacy organizations, trade associations, unions and other groups send their members to POPVOX to take action on bills pending before Congress. Congressional staff and lawmakers log into POPVOX to measure the pulse of their district. POPVOX provides a curating interface for anyone — including Congressional staff, the public and the media — to access and understand the voice of the people.”Most exciting is that it includes entire bill texts, sponsors, bill status and processing schedules. You can voice your votes on each bill with a click of the SUPPORT or OPPOSE buttons, or you can simply go to site in order to collect much needed information. They include details about major organizations and their legislative agendas with contact details. The website engages commentary by anyone who votes and thus encourages civil discourse with the online community.
- OPEN CONGRESS http://www.opencongress.org/ is similar to Popvox in that the website hosts articles and text of the current bills, their supporters, the surrounding issues and allows you to email your Congressional members. It is also a non-profit, non-partisan, public resource aimed at bringing up a more informed voting population.
One of their unique contributions to this conversation is their Money Trail feature http://www.opencongress.org/money_trail. It tracks and posts specific financial contributions made to Members of Congress and from which Sector and Industry they received from. They state, “Open Congress makes it possible to draw connections between campaign contributions, the specific content of bills, and the voting of Members of Congress.
- ROCK THE VOTE http://www.rockthevote.org/ is a twenty year old organization that has registered more young people to vote than any other organization or campaign. Their mission is clear: “Rock The Vote is dedicated to building the political power and clout of the millennial Generation by registering and turning out young people, by forcing the candidates to campaign to them, and by making politicians pay attention to youth and the issues they care about in office.”
Two of their most successful initiatives are Democracy Class and ElectionLand USA.
Democracy Class http://www.democracyclass.com is a fantastic first step for any 18-24 year old that is beginning to get involved in civic life. It brings information to new voters about what to expect when going to the voting poll, shares students perspectives from around the country, and posts video highlights of various artists and celebs who support the cause. Check it out and share with the young people in your life. It is never too early to begin the process.
Election Land USA http://electionland.com/ engages conversations about the voting process, allows you to register to vote by jurisdiction, and allows you to ask questions of the candidates in online debate and online Town Hall features. - If you are looking for print resources, check out our online catalog and search under:
Keyword: “United States – Politics and government”
Sort: Reverse Year (to get 2011 books at the top of the 89 item list).
Or search our website links for Government here: http://www.lmpl.org/dbOverview.asp
Most importantly get informed and get out and VOTE!
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
—Amron
